Thread feeding and spacing means



H. J. HUFFORD Oct. 11, 1932.

Oct. 11, 1932. J HUFFORD 1,882,612

THREAD FEEDING AND SPACING MEANS Filed June 20, 1931' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 aummtoz Z. .15 oraL Witmaoo W Patented Oct. 11, 1932 HARRY J. HUFFORD, OF SGRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA THREAD FEEDING AND SPACING MEANS Application filed June 20;

The invention relates toimprovements in the thread feeding and spacing means commonly used upon spinning and twisting machines, and it aims to provide a novel relation of rollers about which to loop the threads, the arrangement of i said rollers being such as to hold the threads in properly spaced relation, so that any slugs or the like on any of the threads cannot catch upon the other threads and cause breakage as well as accumulation of threads upon the rolls.

Thread feeding means for accomplishing the desired end, have heretofore been primarily of two different types. One type embodies two parallel driven rollers about which to loop the threads, and an inclined thread-guiding finger or roller above the driven rollers. In improving this type of thread-guiding means, the third roller or finger is entirely eliminated and the two main rollers are disposed by unique means in adjustable relation with each other, one of said rollers being preferably given a tapered form.

The other conventional type of thread feeding means has heretofore embodied a relatively large rollerand an inclined threadguiding finger or small roller mounted above the large roller. In improving upon this 23- type of feeding means, a thread-guiding roller is disposed in a new relation with the large roller and takes the place of the previously used finger or the like. I

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings to which reference will be specifically made.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing one type of feeding means constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig.3 is a vertical sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. :4 is a side elevation of one of the Z stub shafts hereinafter described.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the relative positioning of the axes of the two rollers.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan illustrating a slightly different construction, in which two cylindricalrollers are used inabove mentioned shaft, for the purpose of 1931. Serial N0. 545,739.

stead of one cylindrical and one tapered roller as in the preceding views.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a second type of feeding means constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the feeding means shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 9 of Fig; 7.

The structural features and relation of elements shown in Figs. 1 to 5, will first be described. In the embodiment illustrated in these views, a conventional support 10 is em ployed, having the usual lug 11 secured upon the vertical rod 12, the lower edge of said support having the usual notch 13 to accommodate the customary roller-driving shaft (not shown). Non-rotatably secured to and projecting horizontally from the support 10, is a stub shaft 14 upon which a cylindrical roller 15 of conventional form, is rotatably mounted, the end of said roller at the fixed end of the shaft 14, being provided with gear teeth 16 to mesh with a gear on the driving said roller 15. g

In laterally spaced relation with the stub shaft 14, the support 10 is formed with a cylindrical bearing opening 17 whose axis is parallel with the axis of said stub shaft 14. Received for rotative adjustment in this hearing opening 17, is a cylindrical bearing portion 18 on one end of a second stub shaft 19, the axes of the bearing portion 18 and the relatively oblique portion 19 being at a widely obtuse angle to each other, preferably about It will thus be seen that the oblique portion 19 of the stub shaft 19 can never occupy a position parallel with the stub shaft 14 and that the angular relation of said portion 19 with the shaft 14, may be varied 'b turning the bearing portion 18 within t e opening 17. To facilitate such turning,a screw driver kerf 20 is shown in the free end of the bearing portion 18, and to lock the shaft after adjustment, a lock nut 21 has been shown. This loclrnut abuts one side of the support 10, and a head 22 at the juncture of the shaft portions 18 and 19 abuts the other side of said support, 'so that the shaft may be rigidly and non-rotatably held after desired adjustment has been made.

Rotatably mounted upon the oblique shaft portion 19, is a second roller 23 which is preferably tapered to an extent of substantially three-sixteenths of an inch to each inch of length. The larger end of the roller 2'3 is preferably disposed toward the head 22, but by making proper rotative adjustment of the bearing portion 18 in the opening 17, I have found that the smaller end of the roller 23 may be disposed toward said head 22. Both,

23 have been indicated in dotted lines, the

axis of the roller 15 has been denoted by the heavy line A, and the axis of the roller 23 has been represented by the similar line A.

What I will term the end E of the axis A, is

on one line B radiating from the axis A, and

what I will term the end E of said axis A is on another line R radiating from said axis A. The line B is in a plane P in which lies the axis A, and the line B is in another plane P in which also lies said axis A, and the two planes P and P are at an extremely acute angle to each other. When the axis A is truly horizontal, the axis A may be approximately ten degrees to the horizontal, and when the two rollers 15 and 23 are then viewed directly from above, their axes are almost parallel, although they diverge somewhat away from the support 10. Such setting of the rollers may be considered as approximately a neutral setting for effecting one spacing of the threads T. By loosening the nut 21 and so turning the shaft/-19 as to swing its free end horizontally in one direction, the spacing of the threads will be increased, while turning said shaft 19 to swing its free end in the other direction will more widely space the threads. Any such adjustment of shaft 19 does not of course in itself change the spacing of the threads, but merely sets the roller 23 so that upon operation of the machine, the two rollers will effect the desired thread spacing.

In Fig. 6, a cylindrical roller 23 is shown mounted upon the shaft 19, the axes of the two rollers 15 and 28* having about the same relation as the axes A and A explained in connection with Fig. 5. lVhile the cylindrical roller 23 may in some instances be successfully used in place of the tapered roller 28, it offers no resistance toward running of the thread inwardly toward the sup port 10, whereas the tapered roller does ofl'er such resistance and consequently is more do sirable.

For convenience in manufacture, the roller 23 has been shown spaced horizontally from the roller 15, but this is not essential, for the operation would be the same if roller 23 were spaced upwardly or downwardly from roller 15 or were spaced in a direction inclined or declined therefrom.

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9, a different type of thread feeder is shown, embodying a support 10 having a lug 11 to engage the rod 12. Mounted upon the support 10 is a roller 153 much larger than the roller 15,and above this roller, is a tapered roller 23 much smaller than the roller 23. The angular stub shaft 19 for the roller 23* is constructed in the same way as the shaft 19 and is provided with a bearing portion 18 received for rotative adjustment in a bearing opening 1'? in the support 10 The inner end of the shaft 19 is knurled at 20* for adjusting said shaft rotatively, and a set screw 21 is shown for holding the shaft after adjustment.

The axes of the rollers 15 and 23 may possess about the same relation as that existing between the axes of the rollers above described, and any relative adjustment of rollers necessary to attain desired thread spacing, may be attained by looseningthe screw 21 and turning theshaft 19 until the desired spacing of threads is produced, the set screw being then tightened. The roller 15 is of course driven by conventional means By providing the novel construction and relation of parts herein described, a thread feeding and spacing means is provided which effectively overcomes a great deal of trouble, delay and Waste heretofore experienced, and in actual operation, theinvention has proven to diminish thread breakage and thread winding upon the rollers, to an extreme minimum. On account of the proven merit of l the details which have been disclosed, they are preferably followed. However, Within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may of course be made.

I claim 1. In thread feeding and spacing means, a support, and two rollers mounted in laterally spaced relation on said support and adapted for reception in loops of the threads, the ends of one roller axis being disposed on lines which radiate from the other roller axis, said lines being in planes which contain said other roller axis and are at a sharply acute angle to each other, and means whereby said one roller axis may be rotatively adjusted upon an axis substantially parallel with said other roller axis, at least one of said rollers having driving means.

I 2. In thread feeding and spacing means, a

support, a cylindrical roller mounted therestub shaft secured thereto, a roller mounted on said stub shaft, said support having a bearing opening laterally spaced from the fixed end of said stub shaft and substantially parallel with the latter, a second stub shaft having a bearing portion at one end, the remainder of said second stub shaft being oblique to said bearing portion, said bearing portion being received for rota-tive adjustment in said bearing opening, means for holding said bearing portion in adjusted position, and a second roller mounted on said oblique portion Y of said second stub shaft, at least one of said rollers having driving means.

4. In a thread feeding means, a support, a stub shaft secured thereto, a roller mounted on said stub shaft, said support having a bearing opening laterally spaced from the fixed end of said stub shaft and substantially parallel with the latter, a second stub shaft having a bearing portion at one end, the remainder of said second shaftbeing oblique to said bearing portion, said bearing portion being received for rotative adjustment in said bearing opening, means for holdlng said bearing portion in adjusted position, and a tapered roller mounted on said oblique portion of said second stub shaft with its larger end disposed toward said bearing portion, at least one of said rollers having driving means.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

HARRY J. HUFFORD. 

